Art of making embossed designs



UNITED STATES LOUIS I-I. viFUlilLIrIlq'G', OF NEW YORK, N.

PATENT OFFICE.

Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE UNITED STATES PRINTING AND LITHOGRAIH 00., OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORA- TION OF OHIO.

ART OF MAKING EMBOSSED DESIGNS. I

No Drawing. Application filed March 6,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LoUIs H. FUELLING, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the county of Kings, city and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in the Art of Making Embossed Designs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in the art of making embossed designs, particularly such as simulate the natural texture and color of fabrics.

Heretofore such designs were obtained by a laborious and inaccurate method of etching a duplicate of the fabric. This required the services of an etcher and made the process not only expensive but the texture would only be approximated in accordance with the skill of the etcher, andproduced at best only the general effect of fabric without creating any accurate or exact reproduction.

My invention not only results in great accuracy of reproduction and in the resultant satisfying impression on the eye of the observer, but also enables me to dispense with the necessity of skilled help and to obviate the personal equation by making entirely mechanical that which had heretofore been but indifferently accomplished by artisan hands.

My invention comprises the steps ofrendering the fabric capable of retaining its natural. physical form while being subjected to pressure pressing the fabric itself into a thermoplastic mass, removing the fabric and using said impressed mass .as a matrix, producing a positive from said matrix and transferring the positive by pressure to an impressionable medium. In carrying out my invention, I treat as by immersion the fabric in a solution comprising silicate of soda, or its equivalent. I have found that a solution containing about one part by weight of silicate of soda and three parts by weight of water makes a suitable material. The fabric is treatedwith'this solution until the fibers are impregnated. This renders the fabric relatively rigid and res sure-resisting and causes it to keep its original and normal shape through the next following operations. The thus hardened fabric is then rendered non-adhesive by being suitably surfaced, as for instance by Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug. 24, I920- 1918. Serial at. 220,347.

being dusted with plumbago. A sheet of ebonit'e, or other suitable thermoplastic material is placed against the-fabric after it has been treated as above specified, and the two suitably positioned are then heated and held to ether between steel plates, for example: When ebonite is used, a temperature of between 250and 350 Fahrenheit is suitable, but obviously depends somewhat on the composition and size of the mass. The steel plates with the fabric and softened ebonite are now placed in a hydraulic press:

and subjected to a pressure of 250 to 400 tons for a period of about three to five minutes, the pressure andtime being regulated bythe object to be obtained, to wit,

that the thermoplastic mass shall take an accurate impression of the surface irregularities and other physical characteristics relating to the form or shape of the fabric.

The fabric is then separated from the thermoplastic mass, which latter, when it becomes hard, forms an accurate impression or matrix of the fabric. A metallic die may now be made from the matrix by electroplating. The electro-plat'ej thus obtained may be used as a die to emboss the paper on which the reproductions are to appear.

The "methodabove described may be very satisfactorily employed in obtaining replicas oflaces or similar fabrics which are replete in delicacy and detail of contour and form and could only be hand-engraved at pro-- hibitive expense. 7

In order to obtain. reproductiono'f the proper colors, the fabric is photographed before being transferred to the thermoplastic mass. If the fabric is of a light color, as in laces, it is fastened upon a metal sheet of contrasting color, such as black ferrotype, the fastening means being a suitable colorless cement for which purpose the sion from thestifi'ened fabric, while mount-' in usualfashion and in such a Way as to retain the indicating marks throughout.

The fabrics, impregnated or sprayed with a solution as above described, are'pressed onto the thermoplastic mass, as described, and the indicating marks are carried along into the ultimatedie. The 'similitude is then transferred to the paper the indicating marks being first made. to register with those derived in the photographic operation. This results in securing accurate relation between form and color and the final prod-- not is so exact and perfect as to resemble.

almost indistinguishablythe original fabric.

Various modlfications may be madein the proportions and steps hereinbefore clescribed, the procedure being described merely as exemplifying myinvention, and

' innowise restricting it to the specificdisclosure.

I claim: v 1; The improvement in the art of making embossed designs which consists in mountpiece of fabric in a fixed position on a ing a pressure resisting backing, rendering the fabr c pressure resisting, making an mpres- 1 ed, upon a softened plastic mass by apply ing relatively high pressure to the backing, the fabric and the plastic mass, removing thefabric and its backing, causing the plastic mass to become rigid, preparing a die therefrom, preparing a photographic reproductionof the fabric as mounted upon its backing at a time prior'to the said pres: sure stage,pr1nt1ng an image thereof upon come rigid, preparing a die therefrom, preparing photographic reproductions from the fabric as mounted on the backing,

adapting said reproductions for color printing to reproduce the colors of. theoriginal fabric, printing a colored image of said ,7

fabric upon paper andimpressing the die upon said paper in registry with the said print. r V,

3. The improvement in the art of making ing a piece of fabric in a fixed position-on a pressure'resisting backing, rendering the fabric pressure resisting, rendering the surface of the fabric non-adhesive with respect to the plastic mass subsequently employed, making an impressionfrom the stiffened fabric, while" mounted, upon a softened 6O embossed designs which consists in mount- 7 plastic mass byapplying-relatively high pressure to the backing, the fabric and the plastic mass, removing the fabric and its backing, causing the plastic mass to become. rigid, preparing a die therefrom, preparing a photographic reproduction of the fabric as mountedupon its backing ata time prior to thesaid pressure stage, printing an image 7 I thereof upon paper and impressingthe die I upon said paper in registry with The said print. I V

4:, The improvement in the art of making embossed designs which consists in treating a piece of fabric with a solution comprising sodium silicate, mounting the said saturated fabric in a fixed position upon a pressure resisting backing, rendering the surface of the fabric non-adhesive with respect to the plastic mass. subsequently employed, making an impressionfrom the stiffened fabric, while mounted, upon asoftened plastic mass by applying relativelyhigh pressure to the backing, the fabric and the plastic mass,

removing the fabric and its backing, caus-.

ing the plastic mass to become rigid, preparing a die therefrom, preparing a photographic reproduction ofthe fabric. as mounted upon its backing at a time priorto the said pressure stage, printing'an image thereof upon paper and impressing the die upon said paper in registry with the said print.

In witness whereof I havev hereunto set my hand this 23d day of'January, 1918."

LOUIS n. FUELLING. V 

